


What's In A Name?

by Aglarien



Series: Enough for Tonight [4]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4369799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aglarien/pseuds/Aglarien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Prequel to Enough For Tonight.  How Tinnu got his name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's In A Name?

What's In A Name?  
Posted: September 14, 2007  
Title: What’s In A Name?  
Author: Aglarien  
Type: FCGen  
Characters: Erestor, and a certain little animal  
Rating: G   
Disclaimer: Alas, not mine, except for the cat. The great Master Tolkien’s estate owns everything else. I promise to return his elves when I’m done playing with them.   
Author's Note: For my dear friend Patricia on her birthday.

Summary: Erestor must find a name for his new little black kitten.

*****

Erestor did not need a cat. Erestor did not want a cat. Life was quite busy enough without a small animal to look after. But Glorfindel had insisted that the counselor take the little black kitten when the Erestor has seen the warrior off on patrol that morning, just to keep him company in the long evenings while Glorfindel was away. “Perhaps you can even teach him to play chess while I am gone,” Glorfindel had said, and since there wasn’t much that Erestor wouldn’t do for his friend, he had accepted the animal.

Amber eyes looked out from a pitch black face, and ears too large for its tiny head gave the kitten an almost comical look. “You look like a little bat,” Erestor said. “I suppose you will grow into those ears someday, but whatever am I going to do with you, and whatever am I going to name you? Little Bat, perhaps?”

The little kitten explored Erestor’s desk, pawing at his quills and tasting a corner of an important document. “It is certain you cannot stay here,” Erestor said. “I have work to do, but you are too little to run around on your own and get lost.” The kitten barely covered the elf’s palm when he held it in his hand.

Erestor surveyed his office. The little kitten needed something with which to amuse itself, but what? Opening a drawer to find some plaything for the animal, his eyes fell upon a broken quill and an idea formed in his mind. Pulling out a length of string, a small knife, and the broken quill, he tied the string to the handle of the knife. With a flick of his wrist, the knife was embedded solidly into a ceiling rafter. Tying the broken quill to the end of the string, he let it dangle a foot from the floor.

Taking the tiny kitten from his desk, he set it on the floor and then moved the string. The animal performed the curious sideways hopping dance unique to kittens, and attacked the quill with relish. After watching for a few moments, and satisfied that the kitten would be happily entertained, Erestor sat at his desk and began his workday. “Perhaps I will name you Pounce,” he said to the kitten.

During the day, Erestor kept one eye on the kitten to make sure it was either happily playing or curled up asleep. They shared their lunch on Erestor’s desk, the kitten getting the choicest bits of fish and eating voraciously. “Maybe I will name you Greedy,” Erestor said, snatching a piece of fish before the kitten could grab it with his clever paws.

There were no visitors in Imladris of any importance, so Erestor decided to take his dinner in his rooms, and once again shared his meal with the little black kitten. After they had eaten, the elf made himself comfortable in his lounging chair with a book, and the kitten made itself comfortable on Erestor’s chest, its little head snuggled up to its master’s neck, and purred. “Maybe I will name you Purr,” Erestor said with a chuckle, holding the book in one hand and petting the kitten with the other.

When it was time for bed, Erestor donned his nightshirt, brushed out his long black hair, and then made the kitten a place before the fire with a soft blanket. “This is where you will sleep, little one,” he said, and set the animal down on its fluffy bed. He extinguished the candles and crawled into his big, comfortable bed, sighing happily. Perhaps having an animal for a companion wasn’t so bad after all. The little thing was awfully sweet – and soft. 

After lying for a while staring at the ceiling and trying to think of a name for the cat, Erestor finally gave up and turned onto his side to sleep – but something held his hair down. Carefully turning his head, only his sharp elven sight let him see the problem. Lying on the elf’s black mane, barely visible, was the black kitten, curled up and sound asleep. 

“Tinnu,” Erestor whispered with a smile. “Your name is Tinnu.”

*****

Tinnu: Night (also dusk or twilight)

*****   
THE END


End file.
